Police Investigating After Bruins Fan Says He Was Attacked, Called Anti-Gay Slurs

AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Caiden Shaw, a Boston Bruins fan and Denver resident, told Bayan Wang of Denver7 that three Colorado Avalanche fans physically attacked him and shouted anti-gay slurs at him after the Jan. 26 game between the Bruins and Avs in Denver. 

Colorado beat the visiting Bruins 4-3 in overtime at Ball Arena. Postgame, Shaw went to a bar adjacent to the rink, Brooklyn’s at Ball Arena, where he says that three Avalanche fans approached him and appeared to start some friendly banter at first.

However, Shaw said the exchange then became more hostile, and the Avalanche fans began spouting “aggressive homophobic slurs.”

Shaw says one man got into his face and shouted a slur. He says he nudged the man to create space.

“From there, they tackled me to the ground and were calling me f—-t, gay,” Shaw said. “My head was in my arms, and I was kind of in a ball while they were like kicking me and punching me.”

Shaw said that he suffered knee injuries, knee and elbow bruises and a knot on the back of his head. He also revealed the emotional toll of the alleged attack.

“It makes me think back to that younger kid whenever I didn’t want to come out to fully be myself, and the reasons why you don’t do that, and these are why you’re scared to,” Shaw said.

The Denver Police Department told Wang its Bias Motivated Crime Unit is investigating and it’s encouraging any witnesses to come forward.